Originally posted by merlin
I appreciate that weighting can give a greater say to the smaller states when electing the houses but surely when voting for just one guy, the popular vote would ensure that everyone in the country has a say rather than just those living in Florida?
Actually, it's BOTH the President and Vice President.

Remember that we are a Union of States, and the autonomy of each of them, while limited, is real. The power vested in the Executive is substantial; each State gets its say in electing.

We have the debate ourselves again and again. Folks here think it's stupid, too, largely because they don't understand it. It is a Constitutional mandate, and will NOT be easily changed. Florida doesn't want to be ruled by New York, and New York CERTAINLY doesn't want to be ruled by California.


Electoral College:

"An assembly elected by the voters to perform the formal duty of electing the President and the Vice President of the United States: the electors of each State, equal in number to its members in Congress, are expected to cast their votes for the candidates selected by the popular vote in their State."

That's from the handy-dandy $3.99 toolbar Webster's here....

Our Congress is similarly contituted. In the Senate, each State has an equal say. In the House, it's by population. Both gotta agree. The Electoral College gives election of the Executive an analogous spin....

While WE may be idiots, our founding fathers apparently weren't. Think "Chechnya," for example....